Singapore was found to have the seventh-largest ecological footprint – a measure of the population’s demands on natural resources – out of more than 150 countries.
By Laura Elizabeth Philomin, TODAY, 7 Oct 2014
With the growing population driving up carbon emissions, Singapore’s environmental ranking has worsened in the latest Living Planet Report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
By Laura Elizabeth Philomin, TODAY, 7 Oct 2014
Out of more than 150 countries analysed, the report found Singapore to have the seventh-largest ecological footprint – a measure of the population’s demands on natural resources – in the world. Singapore ranked 12th in the 2012 report. In the top five are Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Denmark and Belgium.
With limited natural resources, about 70 per cent of Singapore’s footprint comes from carbon emissions, produced within the country as well as indirectly through activities driven by Singapore’s economy in other countries, the WWF said. Consuming large amounts of imported food and services also contributes to the amount of carbon emissions produced per capita.
If every person in the world lived like Singaporeans, 4.1 planets would be needed to sustain our needs, the WWF noted in its report.
Published biennially, this year’s report reflects 40 years of data from 1970 to 2010 gathered and calculated by the National Footprint Accounts from sources such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Energy Agency and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, among others.
The ecological footprint measures the amount of natural resources such as the productive land and water area a country has, versus how much is needed to sustain population development and absorb carbon emissions generated by these activities.
A country’s ranking is determined by goods and services consumed by an average person and the efficiency of resources used in providing these goods and services.
DEVELOPING AT THE EXPENSE OF RESOURCES
DEVELOPING AT THE EXPENSE OF RESOURCES
In an interview on Monday (Oct 6), WWF International’s director-general Marco Lambertini said Singapore is following the pattern of other high-income economies developing at the expense of resources. Aside from carbon emissions, consumption in these countries also drives habitat degradation and sometimes unsustainable practices in other countries, he said.
The report also found global wildlife populations have declined by more than half over the past 40 years, with the Asia-Pacific region showing the second-highest biodiversity loss due to accelerating development in the region in the past 20 years.
Beyond reducing consumption, Dr Lambertini said Singapore should focus on consuming wisely, such as choosing certified sustainable seafood and sustainable timber. “Consume products that have a lower footprint or no footprint or products that are incentivising sustainable practices,” he said, adding that consumers have more choices now.
As a global investment hub, Singapore can also make great impact by redirecting investments towards applying sustainable standards, investing in companies with high corporate social and environmental standards and divesting from fossil fuels.
“We’re also considering the footprint you’re having through operations outside and a lot of the carbon emissions are actually not necessarily in Singapore, but are also outsourced,” said Dr Lambertini. “All these investment here is a critical one because that’s really one of the key drivers of ecological footprint globally and you’re a major hub and you can really make a big difference there,”
He commended the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act as an innovative measure by Singapore to manage impact from other countries and suggested expanding this concept to other areas – such as carbon emissions and deforestation. This would help other countries preserve their existing natural assets, he said. “Their natural capital is everybody’s natural capital. It’s a common good that we need to be committed to preserve.”
The ministry said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 23) that the report “fails to recognise Singapore’s unique circumstances as a small island city-state with no hinterland”.
WWF report ‘does not reflect Singapore’s environmental constraints’
The Ministry of The Environment And Water Resources has questioned the methodology used in the WWF report, and stressed Singapore’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
By Laura Elizabeth Philomin, TODAY, 24 Oct 2014
The Ministry of The Environment And Water Resources has questioned the methodology used in the WWF report, and stressed Singapore’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
By Laura Elizabeth Philomin, TODAY, 24 Oct 2014
The authorities have responded to a report that ranked Singapore poorly in terms of ecological impact, calling the methodology used “questionable” and saying the report does not accurately reflect Singapore’s environmental constraints and commitment.
The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) was commenting on the biennial Living Planet Report published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) last month, which found that Singapore has the seventh-largest ecological footprint out of 152 countries surveyed. Ecological footprint is a measure of a population’s demands on natural resources.
The ministry said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 23) that the report “fails to recognise Singapore’s unique circumstances as a small island city-state with no hinterland”.
“The report does not give due recognition to Singapore’s real environmental achievements, including our long-standing commitment to sustainable development and resource efficiency,” MEWR added.
“NO CONTROL OVER IMPORTS’ CARBON FOOTPRINT”
The report said the Republic’s ranking worsened from its previous 12th spot in the 2012 report due to carbon emissions produced within the country as well as indirectly through activities driven by Singapore’s economy in other countries.
Consuming large amounts of imported food and services also contributes to the amount of carbon emissions produced per capita.
However, MEWR rebutted that while Singapore can reduce consumption, improve operational efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of activities taking place within Singapore’s borders, it has “no control over the upstream manufacturing and processing of imports – hence their footprint”.
MEWR also pointed out that the methodology employed by WWF deviated from internationally-accepted carbon accounting methodology of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where emission embodied in imported goods are attributed to the exporting country instead.
The report also allocated international marine and aviation bunker emissions to each country in proportion to the country’s share of international trade volume, a practice not shared by other agencies such as UNFCC and International Energy Agency.
“This results in a gross over-estimation of Singapore’s per capita carbon footprint as Singapore sits on a vital global shipping route and has one of the busiest transhipment ports in the world,” said MEWR.
The report also failed to recognise Singapore’s limited access to renewable energy resources compared to other larger and geographically more diverse countries, said MEWR.
Efforts to invest in solar energy – the only feasible option for the city-state – have also been limited by geographical size.
“Given that the methodology in calculating carbon emissions is questionable and also takes no account of Singapore’s size and circumstances (for the reasons given above), the conclusion in the (report) that Singapore has the seventh largest per capita ecological footprint of the 152 countries studied is similarly mistaken,” said MEWR.
“SINGAPORE ON TRACK TO REDUCE EMISSIONS”
The ministry also stressed that Singapore is committed to reducing its carbon emissions – less than 0.2 per cent of global emissions – by focusing on raising energy efficiency across all sectors through the Energy Conservation Act implemented in April last year.
“Singapore is on track to meeting its unconditional pledge at the UNFCCC to reduce emissions by 7 to 11 per cent below business-as-usual levels by 2020,” said MEWR. “We hope that the above clarifications provide a fuller and more accurate view of Singapore’s environmental constraints and commitments.”
Asked about MEWR’s statement, WWF-Singapore chief executive officer Elaine Tan said WWF appreciates that the Government is taking the issue seriously. “Development entails a direct impact on domestic as well as neighbouring natural resources, so both sound domestic policies and transboundary cooperation are key towards moving in the direction of a green economy,” she said.
“WWF looks forward to continuing our positive collaboration with the Singapore Government in achieving this objective, for the good of people and planet alike.”
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